Into The Night
by IAmTheRevelation
Summary: When Clary had a nightmare, the least likely person is there to comfort her through it.
1. Chapter 1

**This is based off the episode of Shadowhunters"Mu Shu To Go" Personally, I love a good Alec/Clary story, but I'll leave them as friends (or you can believe there is some kind of underlying romance)**

 **Hope you all can enjoy.**

 **The story takes place at the end of the episode. Let's say for a moment that Luke didn't bust Clary out of that storage locker and Alec and Jace did.**

 **Enjoy ;)**

* * *

Alec feels like somebody has stomped on his chest and his throat feels tight. All he can think about is how _mean_ he's been to Clary. The other day it hadn't mattered- he hated Clary with a passion and nothing could have changed that. Until yesterday's fiasco with the werewolves. Alec had never been so scared in his life and he thought that Clary was done for. The boy had never been more relieved when she ran out of that storage unit, crashing into Jace and she let her body shake. Alec couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt because he hadn't kept a close enough eye on her. He should have made her come back to the Institute and not give into her- or at least he could have persuaded her to wait until Jace and Isabelle came back.

The dark haired boy walks through the Institute, looking into Clary's room. She has slept on and off since they got her home last night. Alec himself managed to arouse her this morning to get her down into the dining room for breakfast and walked her back upstairs to her room. He even tucked her into her bed and left her to sleep. Other times she woke, she was dazed and a little confused. She had asked for her mother the first time and the second for her mundane friend, Simon. Alec hadn't bought been able to bring himself to help her and he watched as Jace soothed her back to sleep. Alec has come up to check on her on and off, thoughts running through his head on how to apologize to her. How can he? He's been a pain in her ass since day one, ridiculing her on every little thing she's done. Clary has only known their world a short time; Alec and Isabelle and Jace have known this world since they were born.

" _No! Please, stop! No!"_ Clary lets out a series of strangled cries. Alec pales, listening as she calls out for the imaginary villains to spare her. " _Stop! Don't hurt him!"_

Alec walks into the room, sitting on the edge of Clary's bed. Alec reaches out, hands shaking. He's scared to touch her. He watches as Clary struggles, letting out a sob. Alec frowns, placing his hands on her shoulders and shakes softly. "Clary, wake up. It's just a bad dream. Wake up."

Clary releases a shaky sob. " _Let go of me! Jace… A-Alec!"_

That upsets Alec more than anything. Here Clary is, suffering his misconceptions and ridicules, and she doesn't think less of him. She's crying for him. Alec shakes Clary again, trying to be gentle but shake her a little harder. "Clary, it's okay. Wake up- I'm here."

The red head shoots up, her mouth open in a soundless scream. Her hands fly to her throat and she's gasping for a breath. Alec looks to her, rubbing her arms softly. "It's okay. You're okay, Clary."

Clary belts out into sobs and Alec hugs Clary to him, clutching her small body to his chest. Alec half expects Clary to push him away but she doesn't. Her wiry arms wrap around his middle and her head is pressed into his chest. "I'm scared."

"You're safe. You're here at the Institute. Don't be scared," Alec soothes. He rocks her instinctively, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. "What happened, Clary? Was it the werewolves?"

Clary releases a sob. "V-Valentine."

"You're safe. You're far away from that man," Alec reassures. "Nobody won't hurt you."

It takes a few minutes, but Clary calms. Alec holds her tight, combing his fingers through her red curls. "Are you okay?"

Clary nods. "Yeah. Thank you, Alec."

Alec smiles a little. He reaches for the box of tissues on the bedside table, plucking a few out and dutifully dries her tears from her red face. "Don't. It's okay, Clary."

"Did I wake you up?" Clary sniffles and Alec studies her face. Her eyes are red and she has tear-stained cheeks. Alec hasn't seen her cry before. He hasn't seen her this upset, either.

"I was already awake," Alec reassures gently. Alec falls silent then, nervousness constricting his chest. Alec rests his hands on Clary's shoulders, releasing a shaky sigh. "Clary… I am so sorry about everything that has happened. I'm sorry for being a pain in your ass and just...being mean."

Clary laughs at that and Alec gives her a puzzling look. The red head locks her arms around Alec and the boy hugs her back. "Am I forgiven?"

"I forgave you a long while ago," Clary answers softly.

Alec pulls away, giving Clary a small smile. "Let's start over?" He sticks out his hand, offering it to Clary. "My name is Alec Lightwood."

"Clary Fray," giggles Clary. She takes Alec's hand, shaking it gently. Alec smiles wildly, evoking laughter from Clary and he laughs, too.

Alec brushes a stray curl behind Clary's ear. "I'll leave you alone now. If you need me at any point, come and get me. Night, Clary."

Clary's face pales and her hands lock onto Alec's shirt. Alec frowns deeply, rubbing his hands up and down Clary's arms. "Can I take you up on that offer? I-I don't want to stay by myself."

"'Course," Alec says. He pushes Clary gently. "Scoot over, bed hog! This won't work." Clary laughs and Alec's glad he got her to laugh. He settles beneath the blankets and Clary scoots close, their shoulders touching. Alec wraps his arms around Clary's shoulders, giving her a look. "You just threw yourself into my arms and bawled your eyes out. You can lay on me."

"Shut up," Clary mumbles sleepily, curling into his side. "'Night, Alec."

"Good night, Clary." Alec smiles softly as Clary curls into his side, rubbing her back to soothe her on off to sleep. Time passes and Clary falls asleep, leaving Alec awake. He strokes her hair and rubs her back, trying to soothe away the bad dreams.

Alec watches her. She's younger looking when she sleeps. Just this last week alone she's matured in a way Alec has never seen from a person before. Here she was, a bumbling teenager and she's grown from that.

She's become a Shadowhunter. She's going to become a great one.

…

The next few days, nothing exciting happens. They stay in the Institute, taking a break from their training and the missions. Alec tries to stay close to Clary, learning what he can about her. He sat with her for the better part of the first day, learning that she liked to draw and other little things. Later that night, he hugged her goodnight and told her that she could get him if needed.

Jace had questioned Alec. Alec answered the best he could, explaining that he wanted nothing more than to be friends with Clary. Jace had given him a quizzical look but left it alone. Then, the next two days, Alec spent his time with Clary. The Shadowhunter was engrossed with her and he loved the way she looked up at him with her big green eyes. Alec loved the way she smiled and laughed when he did something Clary found funny.

He saw the girl in new light.

He sits alone now. He had saw Clary off to bed some time ago. He had told her to come get him if she needed him for anything. Personally, he hopes she doesn't have any nightmares. It bothers him to see her so upset. The dark haired boy looks around, suddenly bored. He's had Clary to talk with and she's asleep- along with Isabelle and Jace.

It's late- perhaps maybe three in the morning when he hears sniffles and footsteps. He's still not asleep, unable to rest. He's walking about his room when he sees a head of red curls and an exhausted face walking down the hall.

"Clary? I thought you were asleep."

"Bad dream," Clary mumbles tiredly. Tears stain her cheeks and he can tell she's been up for a while.

Alec wastes no time in pulling Clary into a hug. He combs his fingers through her hair and presses a kiss on her cheek. "What was it about? Valentine?"

Clary shakes her head. "Werewolves. They tore my throat out."

Alec sighs. "It's okay. They can't get you."

Clary hugs him tightly and Alec rubs her back, pulling away from her. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?"

The red headed girl nods and Alec takes her hand, pulling her to his bed. Clary lays down on the mattress, pulling Alec's comforter over her body. Alec slides in next to her, pulling the girl close.

"Get some sleep. I'm right here, 'kay?" Alec feels Clary nod against his chest, the girl's face wet from tears and hot from having cried. The Shadowhunter kisses Clary's head, easing his fingers through her red hair. Time passes for the two, Clary falling asleep and Alec nearly giving way to exhaustion when he hears a voice.

"Why the hell is Clary in here?" It's none other than Jace. He's not angry, but he's rather surprised to see the two together and not threatening each other.

Alec glares. "She's sleeping. I'll kill you if you wake her up."

"Geez. Just asking," Jace says. "What's wrong? Is she sick or something?"

"Because she's with me? No, we've reached an understanding. Besides, she's been...been having nightmares. She wound up in here because she didn't want to stay by herself." Alec props himself up on his arm, looking down at Clary who sleeps peacefully. He smiles warmly, brushing her hair back.

Jace laughs. "It looks like you want to do more than simply share a bed with her."

"I respect her more than that!" Alec cries. At that, Clary stirs.

Jace smiles smugly. "Who's gonna wake her up now?"

"Get out of here!" Alec bellows, his voice quiet enough not to wake Clary but loud enough to make Jace understand he means business.

Jace stalks away laughing, leaving Alec who silently curses. He settles into bed, pulling Clary close. He presses his lips to her head in a soothing kiss, hugging her tight.

He isn''t ever going to let anything happen to Clary.

Not ever again.

* * *

 **Well...what did you all think? If you all want to see more stories, I might make this into a series of One-Shots.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing the story- ten reviews...that's really good. I can only hope that you can continue to review and that more will read the story.**

 **This chapter, I bring you the wedding scene and everything is a little jumbled up.**

 **Summary: Alec couldn't stop looking at her. Maybe it was red curls or the emerald eyes looking up at him in excitement and curiosity. God, he couldn't get her off his mind. He felt wrong thinking about another woman while he stood on the alter to be wed to Lydia, but what could he do? He was tired of fighting.**

* * *

 _He couldn't breathe._

With the eyes of his parents and family and friends upon him, he feels exposed and vulnerable. His knees are weak and he trembles, trying to call to sense the feelings he has.

And it is all because of that girl. That damned Clary Fray. She makes his head spin and his body like jelly. She's gorgeous in her dress and the mess of red curls that frame her face. He wonders if he could do this if Clary was gone. Could he promise himself to a woman he doesn't love if the one he did love was watching?

Alec trembles, looking at Lydia. She smiles, looking up at him with joyous blue eyes. Does she want this, too? Does she want to marry a man she barely even knows? Does she want to spend a lifetime living up to the expectations of the Lightwoods?

"I can't breathe," Alec says. In Lydia's hand is the stele that will mark him as her husband. _Stop this!_ His mind is a screaming mess, his thoughts racing a million miles an hour. _You're going to be miserable your entire life. Stop this now._

Lydia smiles. "It's okay." And Alec looks away, looking to the red headed girl in the front row. She's smiling, watching with curious eyes. "Alec?"

Alec gulps back terror. His actions, though, seem to satisfy his racing thoughts. "Lydia, I can't do this. I'm so sorry." And Lydia sees what he means: Clary Fray.

Lydia touches his cheek. Whispers fill the room and he can tell most people are becoming confused as to what is happening. "Go ahead, Alec, I'll be fine. I promise. You deserve to be happy."

 _You deserve to be happy…_ Those words set him free. He feels no guilt or shame in what he's about to do. Alec smiles at Lydia, squeezing her hands. "Thank you."

Alec steps off the alter, looking around the room. People are talking now. His mother is furious. His father is confused. And Alec ignores it, looking to Clary.

 _You've made the right choice,_ his mind echoes.

Alec crosses the floor, grabbing Clary up. He crushes his lips to hers, holding her close. Her movements are delayed, body rigid with surprise. Fortunately, she melts into the kiss, her arms winding around him. Alec shivers when Clary's fingers move through his hair and then they touch his back, making him weak. But a good kind of weak… The kind in which he never wants to stop feeling.

Clary is the one who breaks the kiss. Alec feels at a loss when she pulls away from him, but he smiles, touching his forehead to Clary's. People are talking wildly, but there are wolf whistles in the crowd and someone is laughing.

"May I ask what that was all about? Not that I didn't enjoy it," Clary says.

Alec smiles and soon, Clary adopts the same expression on her face. "I'm in love with you."

Clary winds her arms around his neck. "Nice way of showing it." Clary touches his face, her lips touching his bottom lip.

"Get a room!" Alec looks out into the crowd. The source of the voice is Magnus Bane who sits in the back next to one of the Clave members. Then there is Simon who is dying laughing- in which the laughing has drawn out his fangs and he's otherwise terrifying half the Clave members and the inhabitants of the Institute.

Alec looks to the three standing on the alter. Jace is wiggling his eyebrows and Isabelle could be having a heart attack with the way she is jittering about. Lydia, though, watches with a smile and fond eyes.

" _Thank you,"_ Alec mouths.

Lydia replies back and Alec can see the hope in her eyes. She doesn't seem hurt, but she has a sense of happiness about her. She looks free of the burden she was about to place on her shoulders.

Alec looks to Clary once more, smiling ever so softly. "What does this mean for us?"

Clary laughs. "We'll talk more when we aren't getting stared at."

…

His mother is furious, but Alec decides she'll get over it soon enough. Jace and Isabelle and Simon crowd him and Clary, clearly delighted with what has happened. Magnus comes by later, hugging Clary and telling Alec that he's as good as dead if he hurts her feelings. Hell, Luke himself threatens him should anything happen to Clary, death wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him.

"On a scale of one to ten...how mad is your mom?" Clary asks. She holds Alec's hands, the two in a rather quiet part of the Institute.

Alec laughs. "She's completely passed that up. She would put the fear of God into me if I was a child."

"Do you think she'd try to murder me?" Clary looks up at him, offering a smile.

"It's unlikely, but there is still a small chance she could sneak into your room with a Seraph blade tonight," Alec replies.

The two laughs, coming to a stop. Alec smiles, brushing her red hair from her eyes. "What do you think...about us?"

Clary only smiles. She reaches up, touching his face. Her fingers stroke his cheeks and trace the features of his face- over his jaw and lips and they work their way into his hair. Then, her lips are pressed against his, bodies pressed together.

Alec doesn't need her to say she wants to be with him. He already knows he's going to have her for a long, long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**I can't believe I have 19 reviews in only two chapters! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **I'm more than happy to see requests for future chapters. I'll do my best to place it among my chapters!**

* * *

 _Clary drags herself through the front door, absolutely exhausted…_

She's covered head to toe in _ichor-_ demon's blood. It's black against her pale skin, a stinging sensation making her limbs tingle. She suspects that the demon blood is having a less than positive effect on her skin.

"What happened to you?" Alec asks. He rushes down the stairs, blue eyes wide. Clary looks at him, terror suddenly striking her. He scared the hell out of her. _Uh oh,_ Clary thinks. _He isn't going to like this._ Alec didn't know about Clary's "mission" so to say. Isabelle was going out onto the field to train and Clary wanted to tag along. Isabelle happily agreed, but things went south quickly when they ran into a horde of demons.

"Demon hunting gone wrong?" Clary suggests.

That seems to worry Alec even more. The boy pulls his shirt off, leaving him in a sleeveless shirt. Alec takes Clary's arm, wiping away the _ichor_ from her skin. Blood oozes from cuts where the _ichor_ had corroded the skin. Alec looks down at Clary and she takes note of the fury in his crystal hues. "This is possibly the stupidest thing you've ever done."

"I was with her, Alec," Isabelle says. She walks through the front door, looking like Clary but on a lesser level.

Alec takes Clary's other arm, wiping it down roughly. It makes Clary flinch and she holds back a whimper. "It was irresponsible to take her out. She barely knows what she's doing."

"This is how we've trained," Isabelle says.

"We've studied demons since we could first read!" Alec bellows. Alec pushes the sleeve of Clary's shirt up, revealing a strip of fabric tied tightly around her bicep. When he unties the fabric, there is a deep gash in her arm that pours blood. "This is irresponsible on both your parts. Isabelle, Clary could have gotten killed tonight. And Clary...you know better." He begins wiping her face and it takes all Clary has not to hang her head in shame or cry.

Alec finishes with Clary, gripping her shoulders. "I want you to go and take a shower- get this _ichor_ off you. Come down to the infirmary and I'll be waiting."

Clary nods, stepping away from Alec to go upstairs. She feels like somebody punched her in the throat and her chest aches. During her time as a Shadowhunter, she's done stupid things. Jace would have probably screamed at her and then would have stalked off. But Jace isn't here- he's off in Idris, but Clary's sure she'll get an earful when he gets home.

Alec, though...he's angry. He's disappointed in her.

Maybe the disappointment makes everything a little worse.

Before Clary can go upstairs, she feels Alec place his hands on her shoulders. He spins her around and places his lips on hers.

"I love you," Alec says, pulling away.

Clary gives a shaken smile. "I love you, too."

…

Clary comes to the infirmary, cleansed of the _ichor_ on her skin. As she walks, she presses a towel to her arm to stop the bleeding. She sees Alec sitting on one of the beds, holding a stele in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other. The blue eyed boy looks up and Clary searches for any emotion in his eyes. She expects to see anger and disappointment, but she only sees regret.

Alec closed the distance between them, winding his arms around her. Clary pressed her face into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. "Are you mad?"

Alec presses his lips on her forehead. "No. Or at least I thought I was. You just scared the hell out of me." Alec pulls away, studying Clary over. "I have to realize I can't keep you cooped up in here. But I also want you to be more educated about demons. What was the demon? Can you tell me what it looked like?"

"Errr… It had tentacles with razor-like things on them." Clary allows Alec to sit her down on the bed, exposing her arm to him. Alec begins to place his stele on Clary's neck where an _iratze_ was drawn.

"It was an Eidolon demon. They're annoying but dangerous as hell," Alec says. He takes a cotton ball soaked in alcohol and begins to cleanse the deep wound. Clary can't keep from crying out, jerking away from Alec. Clary looks at Alec with teary eyes, completely exhausted and in pain.

Alec touches her cheek, stroking it softly. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." Alec takes Clary's arm again, cleaning the wound as carefully as he can. Finally, after some complaining and threats on Clary's part, her arm is bandaged. The bandage turns red with her blood, but soon stops bleeding.

Clary somehow winds up curled in the same bed as Alec. She's laying on top of him, head against his chest as she listens to how his heart beats. The rhythm soothes her, making her sleepy.

"You remind me of someone," Alec says. "They were eager to fight. Eager to jump into the Shadow World and fight." His fingers ease through her red waves, allowing him to see her emerald eyes.

"Who?" Clary asks.

Alec smiles. "Me."

Clary gives him a quizzical look. There is no way in hell that Alec would have been this way. He looks like the kind to go about their own pace and learn before diving in. She was half-expecting him to compare her to Jace. "You? I don't see it."

"Yes, me. I was prepared to fight, but my parents didn't think so," Alec says. He rubs Clary's back, his lips turned up in a crooked smile. "I was thirteen my first hunt. I snuck out and of course, my parents thought I was in my room studying. I ran into a Shax demon. I almost killed myself."

"Who…?"

"My father," Alec says. "As I lay bleeding, he killed it. He carried me home and later, when I woke up, he was there. He didn't say anything. He just held a look of disappointment in his eyes. There was no punishment since I scared the hell out of myself by taking that thing on…"

Clary gives him a look. "And the moral of the story is?"

"To wait until you're ready, not when you have something to prove," Alec says. "You're not going to be ready to fight for a while longer. Besides, if you ever go out, I'm coming with you."

Clary beams at him and Alec kisses her cheek and his lips find hers. Somewhere through the silence, Isabelle comes rushing in. "Really, guys? In the infirmary?"

Both jump- Clary head butting Alec and Alec bites down on her lip. When they free themselves and become fully aware of what happened, they glare at Isabelle. She's horse laughing, crumbling to the infirmary floor.

Clary glares. "You're not funny." She touches her lip, coming back with blood where Alec bit her when Isabelle made herself known and scared the living hell out of them. "You made him bite me!"

Isabelle slinks down on the bed, Clary and Alec making room for her. "I can't help it! You two are so cute!"

"You're terrible," Clary states. She lays her head on Alec's chest, allowing him to play with her hair. "What if I started on you about Simon? I've seen you two sneaking around the Institute."

"She's not wrong. Am I expecting a niece or nephew anytime soon?"

"You're a dog," Isabelle says.

And Clary can only laugh, Alec joining in on the laughter. As she lays there, she smiles. She's delighted with the two siblings, feeling like she belongs here for the first time since being thrown into this new world.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I can't believe I have twenty eight reviews for only three chapters. That is amazing!**

 **Anyhow, I received a prompt from a reviewer called "S." She asked me to do something like Clary teaching Alec to do mundane things. And what else is more human than playing video games? So, "S" I hope you like the chapter!**

 **Summary: Clary takes it upon herself to teach her boyfriend to play video games when he says he lacks any experience. However...there are some repercussions to letting a hot-headed Shadowhunter play a game for the first time.**

* * *

Clary noticed Alec didn't typically do what she would call "normal." He didn't watch T.V. or play video games. These things were foreign to him as he's never done anything like it.

It was when Clary invited Simon over to spend the day with her. Simon brought his Playstation 4 and Clary was dying to play the game system. She hadn't had much to do with technology besides her cell phone and the computers down stairs that allowed them to properly track demons.

Clary was in her room with Simon, Max and Isabelle with her. Max made himself at home in Clary's lap and he was wide eyed at the animations on screen. Simon brought over Mortal Kombat vs. DC and while Clary was Scorpion, Simon picked Subzero. Clary was kicking butt and Simon was screaming that Clary was cheating when Alec walked in.

"What in the name of God are you doing?" Alec asked.

"She's cheating! Cheater!" Simon screamed hissing in his vampire-like way and threw the controller through the drywall.

Clary smacked Simon and looked at her boyfriend who stared at the four people with a confused expression. "It's a video game." Clary paled. "Alec, please don't tell me you've never played a video game."

"I've never played a video game," Alec says.

Clary's mouth dropped open and she looked at Simon who wore an identical expression. "I'm going to teach you to play video games. Come on, why don't you watch?"

"So do I get to play right now?" Alec asked, his interest peaked at the idea of the game.

Clary shook her head. "No. Right now, I have to play Simon again because he's a giant crybaby!"

…

Today, the group of teens sit in a small lounge. Clary purchased a television and installed it in the room. Most everyone brought pillows and blankets and got comfortable.

Clary was helping Max play Mario Kart when Alec came in, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt. "Can I play that one game? The one where you fight each other?"

Clary raises an eyebrow. "You mean Mortal Kombat? Ally...I think you should work your way up."

"Are you saying I'm incompetent of learning how to play?"

"I'm saying that you're going to get mad. That game is hard the first time around and I know how bad your temper is."

"I'm not that bad," Alec says.

"Okay," Clary says. She inserts the disk into the game system and sets up a controller for Alec. "I'm going to be...Subzero. You choose."

"I want to be the man in tights," Alec says.

"Almost all of them wear tights!" Max exclaims.

"That one!" Alec says. He presses buttons at random, blue eyes holding some kind of rage Clary has never seen before. "Yes! Him."

"Batman?" Clary asks.

Alec nods and Clary helps him select his character.

Then the drama starts.

"Stop using that freezy-blast thing on me! That's not fair, Clary!" Alec exclaims. He frantically presses the X button, hopping up and down on the screen.

"You said you wanted to play. I'm not babying you by letting you win," Clary says to her boyfriend who acts like a five year old. "Alec, just press the circle button! Try to punch me."

"You won't stop moving!"

That's when Clary decides to knock him out of the arena, winning the match between the two.

Alec huffs, looking to Clary. "Love?"

"Yes, Alec?" Clary looks at her defeated and angry boyfriend. She smiles and has to stifle laughter.

"Can I just play Mario Kart?"


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a chapter based upon the Shadowhunter children's rhyme. Most lines have a sort of story to tell, and I hope you enjoy!**

 **I've taken some things from the book and made up a few things.**

* * *

" _Black for hunting through the night…"_

Alec watches as Clary dawns her hunting gear. She laces her black combat boots and pulls a leather jacket over her shoulders. In a sheath at her side is a Seraph blade. Her stele is tucked inside of her boot for easy access.

He doesn't like to see her hunt. There have been too many close calls. Time and time again, he's seen her almost killed by a demon. How many times will he see her in the infirmary from gashes and being poisoned?

Alec looks to Clary. The red head smiles and he frowns deeply. It raises concern among Clary because she crosses the floor to meet him, winding her arms around his neck.

"What's the matter?" Clary asks.

"I don't want you to go out there." Alec brushes back her hair, studying her perfect features. "It terrifies me every time we go on a hunt."

Clary smiles sadly. Alec sighs when she touches his face and he gazes at her. "Alec, this is my life now. I'm going to be put at risk anytime, anyplace." Clary touches her forehead to his, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You scare me, too. If it were up to me, I'd keep you here and not let you out. But we're Shadowhunters. Minor injuries and slight maiming is a part of the job description."

It's then that he releases her, the couple going downstairs to join Isabelle and Jace who will accompany them on their hunt.

…

" _For death and mourning, the color's White…"_

 _How did this happen?_ Alec thinks as he stares towards the small body upon the funeral pyre. The body is dressed in black hunting gear, his eyes and hands bound in white silk. He holds a Seraph blade in his left hand. Alec remembers when Max dressed up in the black leather, pretending to hunt demons. He wishes that t was the case now, but instead his little brother is gone. He will never see his sparkling eyes or his smile.

Alec feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see Clary, the girl dressed in a flowy white dress. Her eyes are red from crying. She blames herself for what has happened. It was her brother that did this.

Alec feels his lower lip tremble and tears blind his vision. Before he can stop, he starts sobbing and he holds his arms out, asking for some kind of comfort from Clary. And she gives it to him, winding her arms around his waist. Alec cries into her hair, holding Clary like she's his only lifeline.

"Shh," Clary murmurs. "Don't cry. Shh…"

He stands there with her he doesn't know how long. But he releases the pain and frustration, letting Clary be strong for him for the first time.

…

" _Gold for a bride in her wedding gown…"_

It took him years to get Clary to say yes. Ten years, to be exact. It wasn't out of fear or anything; it was simply because Clary wanted to wait for the perfect time. Alec reflects on the many times he talked about marriage with Clary and she said she wanted to wait for a while.

Alec watches as his sister walks down the isle. Isabelle agreed to be Clary's Maid of Honor and all. In her hand she holds a small black pillow holding a silver and gold stele and a ring with the Fairchild crest upon it.

Then Clary comes, dressed in gold. Red curls cascade down her back like a waterfall of flames. She smiles that shy smile that Alec has come to love over the years. Alec holds out his hand, smiling as he takes Clary's small hand in his.

He smiles. " _I love you so much."_ His words are quiet- only the two of them can hear.

Clary touches his cheek. " _I love you, too."_

Alec watches as Clary turns to take his wedding token from Isabelle. Clary turns to face Alec holding a golden ring in her hand. She slips it upon the ring finger of his left hand and Alec picks up a golden bracelet, clasping it around her petite wrist.

"It is time for Alexander Lightwood and Clarissa Fairchild to mark each other with the wedding union Runes. A Rune upon the hand, a Rune upon the heart a marriage is formed."

Alec takes the stele from Jace, touching the clear end of the thing to the glass before them. Light shines and when he draws away, a stream of gold and silver follows as he draws the Runes upon Clary's hand and heart. Clary does the same, finishing soon after him and they're marked with gold Runes, binding them together forever.

People clap and cheer. However, Alec takes Clary and presses his lips to hers. Jace wolf whistles and somewhere in the crowd he can hear Magnus and Simon doing the same. Isabelle tells them to get a room.

When Alec pulls away, he laughs. Clary giggles, taking his hand. "You're ravishing, Mrs. Lightwood."

"Shut up," Clary says, drawing him down for another kiss.

…

" _And Red to call enchantment down…"_

…

" _White silk when our bodies burn…"_

Something went horribly wrong. It wasn't result of the spell- it was nothing Magnus or anyone did. Jocelyn just died… There was no heartbeat and she wasn't breathing. Alec was barely able to hold Clary off when they worked frantically over Jocelyn. To no avail, no one was able to bring Jocelyn back to life.

They give Jocelyn the last benediction. Isabelle and his mother helped ready Jocelyn, binding her eyes and hands in silk. They go to Idris to burn her body, the funeral march a small one for this woman who was known by few but loved very deeply.

Alec holds Clary's hand as they walk to the funeral pyre. They take up the torch to light the wood beneath her body.

Clary shakes her head. "I can't do this."

Alec touches Clary's cheek, pressing a kiss on her hair. "It's okay. Be strong, just for a little while."

Soon after lighting the wood, Jocelyn's body is engulfed by flames. He holds Clary tightly, the girl looking away from her mother.

"There's no one left," Clary says. "Mom's dead. Luke is gone…" She's scared of being alone.

Alec kisses Clary's forehead. "Don't worry. I'll be your family now."

…

" _Blue banners when the lost return…"_

Demons invaded Idris. All Shadowhunters were called to fight in the bloody battle, many losing their lives. Many went missing. Alec was fortunate that he didn't die. He woke up in rubble. The demons were gone, expelled back into hell.

Clary, however, was missing.

It took a week to find her. Alec never stopped searching during that time, spending his days and nights looking for her. He finds her in the woods with a group of men and women and children. She took them and led them to safety...but she got lost in the process.

Alec was overjoyed when he found her. She was sitting on the ground, entertaining a child. She was covered in a layer of dirt and twigs were caught in her hair. He called her name and she stood up, scattering towards him. He kissed her and laughed with sweet relief.

Returning to town, people had already gotten word of them finding the lost group. Blue banners were hung high as they marched through the streets.

The celebration continues. Blue banners still fly in the wind and people parade through the streets.

"All of this because I was missing for a week?" Clary asks, holding Alec's hand.

Alec chuckles. "I will rejoice for the rest of my life that I found you."

…

" _Flame for the birth of a Nephilim, and to wash away our sins.."_

Alec looks at the tiny bundle resting in Clary's left arm. From the blanket, two big blue eyes are staring at him with a curiosity that he's sure no newborn has ever acquired.

"He looks like an Ezekiel," Alec says. They've been badgering at one another in the nine months that Clary was pregnant. Both have been proposing names and neither could agree.

Clary wrinkles her nose. "I like Henry better."

Alec groans. "Our kid is going to have thirty different names if we can't agree on something. So far, I'm considering naming him Ezekiel Henry Jacob and a hundred other names."

"Magnus says we need to name him after him," says Clary.

"I think not," Alec says.

Clary purses her lips in thought. Then, after a moment, she smiles. "Maxwell…"

Alec smiles. "Max… Maxwell David? Do you like that?"

"I love it," Clary says, dropping a kiss on the child's head. She brushes back the plush blanket from his hair, revealing red hair the color of flames…

…

" _Grey for knowledge best untold…"_

…

" _Bone for those that don't grow old…"_

Alec's youngest daughter falls for Magnus. Madeline is nineteen years old and as stubborn as her mother and won't allow anyone to waver her decision of Magnus.

Alec didn't approve right off the bat, but Clary was all for it. Alec just didn't want Madeline's heart to be broken. He knows that Magnus' immortality will prohibit things and while things are well now, she will be thirty years old someday and Magnus will be forever nineteen.

"I only want her to have a forever with him," Ec says.

Clary only smiles. "I don't think it matters. If I know Magnus, he's going to find a way to be with her. They're going to have a forever."

Alec grins. "What about you and I? Do we have an eternity ahead of us?"

"I signed up for marriage for an eternity, didn't I?" Clary asks.

Alec can only laugh, just as in love with her as he was all those years ago.

…

" _Saffron lights the victory march…"_

The war was devastating, but they won. Alec holds Clary's hand, holding a lantern high over his head as they walk back to town where Jonathan Morgenstern lay waste. How many Shadowhunters died tonight? How many are left to celebrate this victory?

As they come through the gates, they see the sky lit up with saffron lights, illuminating the darkness.

Alec looks down at Clary who holds her lantern above her head, adding light to the night sky. "Maybe now we can live in peace."

Clary squeezes his hand. "Every day I am at peace. I have you…"

…

" _Green will mend our broken hearts.."_

…

" _Silver for the demon towers…"_

…

" _And Bronze to summon wicked powers."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for not updating! It took forever to come up with something to write and I've seen some sick-fics and I wanted to write one. So...here is the newest installment of Into The Night!**

* * *

 _~Alec~_

Clary's not one to get sick. Her immune system is high and she's always healthy. However, this time, it wasn't her fault. It wasn't because she didn't wash her hands or she was around a horde of sick people.

It was because of Isabelle.

Clary ate Isabelle's cooking out of poor judgement. Jace said that she shouldn't eat the meals the girl prepares, but Clary felt Jace over exaggerated and gave it a try. Now she knows that Jace didn't lie and that his accusations were dead on.

It was two hours after she ate the meal and she felt funny. She blamed it on the food itself because Isabelle made chicken and a bunch of other things to accompany the main dish. She blamed it on an upset stomach and paid it no mind. She sat up and waited for Alec and Jace to return home. They'd gone out on a hunt and Clary was eager to see Alec.

Another hour passed and Clary started to tremble. Her stomach started to churn and she felt light headed. In a twisted turn of events, she was running blindly for the en-suite bathroom and promptly started to throw her guts up. She knew that Isabelle's food has given her food poisoning. There was no strange coincidence that she contracted a stomach bug or anything. This was full, blown out food poisoning. So she dealt with sporadic explosions coming from both ends of her, feeling absolutely awful.

Clary gave up hope of ever moving from her place before the toilet. She's sat back against the bathtub, shivering as she prays that the spontaneous eruptions of her stomach would soon end. She's thrown up a grand total of five times in the last hour and other unmentionable things.

"Clary? Oh God… What's wrong?" Clary looks at Alec and she feels a tidal wave of relief hit her. Her knight in shining armor has come to save her. Alec kneels down next to Clary, feeling her head. She's freezing, but knows she's scorching with a fever.

Clary gives a shaky smile. "Isabelle."

Those words are enough conformation that she has been poisoned by Isabelle's food. Alec presses a kiss on her forehead, stroking her cheeks. Clary smiles, leaning into his touch. "C'mon, I'm going to get you to bed."

The trembling girl allows her boyfriend to help her stand, walking on trembling legs as Alec leads her back into her room. Clary sighs with relief as Alec settles her on her bed, but not before changing her out of her sweaty clothes. She lifts her arms, allowing him to strip her of her shirt. He places a loose short sleeved shirt over her and helps her into sweatpants.

Clary smiles. "Thank you, Ally."

Alec returns the gesture. "You're welcome, Angel."

…

Not much time is spent in bed. Clary was feeling like she might not have to vomit anymore when she catapulted forward to her bathroom. However, she didn't make it before the contents of her stomach reappeared. She considers herself lucky because most of the mess was bile and not a reappearance of food from an earlier meal.

But it still embarrassed her.

She cries, not sure why she is. She sidesteps the mess she made as Alec inspects what happened. "I...I'm sorry." She cries even harder when Alec wraps his arms around her, hushing her.

"Shh. You're going to be okay," Alec soothes. "Don't get so upset." He strokes her hair and presses kisses to her feverish skin.

Clary cries only to have herself become sick again. She falls on her knees before the toilet bowl, body heaving with sobs and nausea. Alec comforts her and tries to clean up the mess next to them, the boy looking as pitiful as Clary.

Clary finishes the gruesome cycle of vomiting, gasping for a breath. She's still struggling to control the tears, her bottom lip trembling. Alec had cleaned up the mess next to her and is now starting the shower. "I'm going to kill Isabelle."

"I know. I have a bone to pick with her," Alec says. He tests the water, making sure that the temperature isn't too hot or cold for Clary. "I want you to take a shower. I'm going to bring you some medicine and see what we can do to keep you hydrated."

Clary nods weakly. She stands shakily, letting Alec help strip of her vomit-covered shirt. She throws her clothes into the hamper, climbing into the shower and tries to clean herself up. Once she's satisfied, she pulls herself from the shower and dries off. Alec left her clothes- one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts. Clary gratefully puts them on, stepping out of the bathroom to see Alec sitting on her bed with a terrified Isabelle.

"What on Earth did you do to make your food _poisonous?_ " Alec questions.

"I only made chicken!"

"Chicken? Izzy, I was looking for something to make for dinner and the chicken I saw was outdated. I sat it on the counter to throw it away."

Isabelle pales. "Uh oh…"

"You fed my girlfriend spoiled chicken?"

"And Max and Jace and Dad..."

"Shit!"

…

By the grace of God, neither boy contracts food poisoning. However, Isabelle starts the process of vomiting sometime later. That goes for Alec's father, Robert.

Clary manages to eat a small bowl of soup and not wind up sick. She sits in the kitchen, Alec holding her hand as she uses her free one to stir her soup slowly with the spoon, no longer hungry.

"Think that you can eat a little more?" Alec asks.

Clary wrinkles her nose. "No. I'm afraid I'll get sick."

Alec only nods, but slides over a glass of orange liquid. Clary is more than familiar with the substance- she remembers it from her childhood when the stomach bug took over her and her mother made her drank it out of fear that she'd become dehydrated.

"Drink a little. I don't need to haul your ass to a mundane hospital."

Clary laughs, drinking the electrolyte fluid. She sips at it, quietly chatting with Alec when a sickly looking man comes wobbling down the stairs. Robert Lightwood is deathly pale and the food poisoning had taken its toll on him.

Robert, despite the obvious discomfort, smiles at Clary. Clary loves Alec's father- he treats her nicely. "How are you, Clarissa?"

Clary smiles back at him. "I've seen better days."

Robert ruffles her head of red curls. "Next time you'll know better than to eat Isabelle's cooking. It was a miracle that Max and Jace didn't get food poisoning."

Clary nods weakly in agreement. She continues to sip at her drink until she believes she's consumed enough to make Alec feel a little better about her condition. "Do you mind if I lay down?"

"You shouldn't have to ask," Alec says. "Why don't we lay down on the couch so you can watch television? I'm sure we can find something."

Clary smiles. "Can I watch Lucifer?"

"Only if I get to watch the last episode of Stitchers."

"Deal," Clary says, rising to her feet.

…

Clary eats a small meal, thinking that the worst is over. She eats soup prepared by Maryse who thought that maybe her stomach could handle it. Clary was okay leading up to when she decided to go to sleep.

No matter how hard she tried, Alec still wanted to sleep with her. He said that he wanted to make sure she was okay. She allowed him to, but she said she wanted to be closer to the door in case that something funny happened with her stomach.

Clary is laying down when her stomach starts to go haywire. She races to her en-suite bathroom and promptly throws her guts up. Alec is close behind, looking pained.

"Clare?" Alec touches her back, rubbing soothing circles.

Clary finishes puking, her voice coming out a whimper. She flushes the toilet, resting her head against the cool porcelain. "I don't feel good, Alec."

"I know," he soothes. "Are you done? Do you want to go back to bed?"

Clary tries to answer, but she hangs her head over the toilet as more vomit sputters out. She feels tears running down her face and a sob shakes her. "Alec." Her voice is desperate and she clutches his shirt.

"I'm right here," Alec says. Clary feels a cool cloth pressed to her neck and then he begins to wash her face, wiping any traces of vomit from her. "How about we bring our bed in here? I'm going to get some blankets and pillows."

Clary nods, lip trembling as she cries. Alec stoops over her, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back, love." He dries tears away and with a final kiss, he goes to retrieve Clary's comforter and some pillows.

The rest of the night is spent throwing up. She vaguely remembers Alec rubbing her back as she emptied the contents of her stomach and cold cloths being applied to her neck and forehead. The rest is a blur of pain and listening to Alec murmur to her until she could lay down from the intense stomach pains that made her double over.

The next morning, she feels remotely better. She slept beneath her comforter on the bathroom floor most of the night. The last few hours Alec carried her to her bed and tucked her underneath fresh blankets.

At breakfast, Alec, Clary, and Jace are the only three there. Maryse is helping Robert and Isabelle through their sickness and Max is sleeping in.

"I told you not to eat her food! But no, you had to ignore me and eat it anyways!" Jace says, shoving a piece of waffle into his mouth.

Clary rolls her eyes. "I can't ever take you seriously! Besides- you tend to over exaggerate."

"She's feeling better if she's arguing with you," Alec says. Clary looks to her boyfriend, offering a smile. The dark haired boy bends down, pecking Clary softly on the lips. "She's definitely feeling better."

"Stop with the face sucking," Jace says narrowly. "And here. You need to eat." Jace pushes a plate of eggs over, glaring at her.

"Asshole," Clary says, spearing a piece of food and lifts it to her mouth. Alec laughs at her and Clary smiles victoriously.

After a few moments, Jace speaks. "Clary, what's the lesson we learned?"

"Not to eat anything Isabelle makes," Clary says, consuming the breakfast given to her.

"Good girl," Jace says.

Clary growls audibly. "Jackass."


	7. Chapter 7

**Prompt: Clean**

 **This chapter is about the Shadowhunters and the messier aspects of their lives.**

 **Enjoy and please review!**

 _~Clary~_

 _It exploded…_

* * *

Right in her face.

The demon died with a screech and returned to hell from where it came. But its physical body turned into nothing but black slime and it exploded all over her from head to toe like a grenade. It knocked her backwards and she laid on the ground a moment, the breath knocked out of her.

Nobody came to help, of course. Jace was too busy _laughing_ his ass off.

Clary sits up after regaining her lost breath and looks at the black slime dripping off her body. She wants to gag, but she'll preserve what little dignity she has left because Jace won't let her live it down if she throws up because of a little demon ichor.

Clary wipes the tar-like slime from her face, huffing in anger. "You could have helped me, jackass." She rises to her feet, ignoring the stinging pain in her hands, knowing that they're scraped up and bleeding.

"You were fine," Jace replies. He comes over to Clary and wipes her face clean with a cloth pulled from his pocket.

"I thought I was _dying!_ " Clary exclaims.

"But you're not dead," Jace says, smiling his dazzling smile that gets him out of almost any kind of trouble. _Almost_.

Clary glares. "I'm not arguing with you. I want to go home...take a shower." She remembers her first demon hunt behind Alec's back… She came back and was covered head to toe in _ichor_ and had other lascerations that worried Alec- it angered him, even.

"Why? Pretty girl can't take a little demon _ichor_?" Jace asks, making this girly voice at Clary.

"We're not back at the Institute yet. I'll kill you and make it look like a demon did it," Clary says narrowly, waving her Seraph blade at Jace.

Jace pales at that, the blonde coughing. Clary smiles satisfactorily and she walks along side Jace, happy he'll at least be quiet for the walk back home.

…

"Don't you just look pretty?" Alec says, smiling as Clary walks inside the Institute. "Demon's _ichor_ really brings out the green in your eyes."

Clary glares at her boyfriend. "Ha ha, very funny."

Alec places a towel on the floor, gesturing for Clary to toss her _ichor_ covered clothing onto the thing so she doesn't trek it through the Institute. "Kidding, Clare." The dark haired male grins and Clary laughs, stripping of her jacket and places the _ichor_ covered article of clothing on the towel, kicking off her boots.

"You're bleeding, love," Alec says. The blue eyed boy takes her hands, inspecting the torn skin. Blood still oozes from a cut on the palms of Clary's hands, running down her fingers and dripping to the floor.

Clary shrugs. "It's okay. I fell after the demon kind of exploded on me… It isn't deep."

"I'll look at them after you clean up," Alec says. The dark haired male smiles and looks at Clary. "Now go shower. You smell _awful_."

Clary smiles. "In that case…" Clary holds her arms out, advancing Alec. "Come here! I want a kiss!"

Alec pales. "No! Clary, stay away!" He takes a few steps backwards and Clary laughs, knowing that she's going to have fun with this.

"But I love you!"

"Stay away! You're going to get me dirty!"

It ends with them on the floor, Alec covered in _ichor_ and his face peppered with Clary's kisses.

…

They both take a shower- Clary made sure of that.

 _Ichor_ is sticky and nasty- it isn't easy to get off. Clary has to scrub herself repeatedly to wash away the black substance that coats her skin. The water that goes down the drain is black with the demon's blood. Her hair is another matter, rinsing and shampooing the curly mass more than three times to remove the ick that covers her body.

Once squeaky clean, she dries off and dawns new clothes left by Isabelle- a pair of shorts and a long T-shirt. She brushes her hair, leaving her hair to dry in damp ringlets as she goes to the infirmary where Alec waits with a roll of bandages and some other supplies.

"Thanks for getting me dirty," Alec says.

Clary grins. "You got kisses out of it."

"Yeah," Alec says, trying to seem angry but he disguises his smile poorly. Clary laughs and Alec laughs, too. "Let me see those hands. I'll bandage them for you."

Clary sits on a bed, allowing Alec to see her hands. He inspects them, looking at the irritated cuts. "They're not deep. I can just wrap them and not need to draw an _iratze_ on you." Alec cleans them and then wraps them.

"Gotta say...you look good when you're filthy, but I prefer you clean," he says.

"Because you're germa-phobic?" Clary questions, smiling.

Alec rolls his eyes, but he smiles. "No. When I look at you, I can't see anything else but purity and beauty. It's hard to see you any other way."

Clary smiles, standing up to wrap her arms around him. "I'm your Shadowhunter girlfriend. I'm going to come back beaten up and dirty."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Alec says. Alec smiles gently, stroking her hair. "But I'll take you either way, clean or dirty."

Clary laughs and then Alec's lips have claimed hers, silencing her. They separate after a moment, foreheads touching. Clary pulls away and lays her head on Alec's chest, wrapping herself around the young man. They stand there, perfectly content in each other's arms. Clary yawns, hiding her face in his chest, breathing him in.

"Are you tired?" Alec asks.

Clary nods, her voice sleepy. "Exhausted."

Alec lifts the red head up and Clary wraps herself around Alec like a vine, holding close to him. "Let's get you to bed, then. Are you sleeping by yourself or are you bunking with me tonight?"

But she's already dozing off to sleep, head tucked in the crook of his neck.

Alec chuckles, carrying his sleeping girlfriend upstairs and down the hallway.

"My room it is."


	8. Chapter 8

**You all are probably going to hate me for this… Remember: I cried as much writing this as you did reading this...**

 **Please review!**

* * *

~Alec~

Her situation is awful…

The Shadowhunter watches Clary with sad eyes. She sits next to the mundane, clutching his pale hand. He looks as if he's sleeping, but Alec knows that he's in between life and death. He's not alive, but he isn't dead either.

Clary runs her fingers through Simon's dark brown hair. Tears fill her eyes as she looks down at her best friend. Alec can tell that she's trying to be strong, but the guise isn't working. This girl is getting ready to crumble into pieces and there's nothing that will stop it. Then, the girl looks up at the vampire who brought Simon here- Raphael. The vampire looks at Clary with a solemn expression. He's saddened by this…

"What will happen if I choose to stake Simon?" Clary asks. She sniffles lightly and dries her eyes, clutching Simon's lifeless hand.

Raphael looks towards Clary. "He will die a painless, human death as far as I know."

Clary clenches her jaw, looking at Simon. "And...and what if I bury him?"

"He will emerge as a vampire. But he can get stuck beneath the ground, starving for an eternity," Raphael says. The vampire stsnds, crossing the floor to stand beside of Simon's body. "What will it be, Shadowhunter? Burial or a stake through the heart?"

Clary shakes her head. Tears escape this time and Alec can tell she's heartbroken. "Either way I lose someone I love. He'll hate me if I let him turn into a vampire. But what would happen if I killed him?"

Raphael sighs. "Make your choice quickly. We have to do something with him before sunrise. If not, his soul will be stuck here forever."

Clary lowers her head into her hands and Alec frowns. She raises her head back up, looking at Simon with watery eyes. A sob tears through her body as she takes his hand. "I'm sorry, Simon." Alec knows then that she's going to go ahead and put him out of his misery. She's going to let him die a human death.

"Do you choose to stake him?" Raphael asks.

Clary nods shakily, drying away tears. "Can I say goodbye first?" She looks at Simon, knowing that he will no longer be alive after this moment. There will be no more breath; there will be the absence of a heartbeat. The mundane will die and leave this world behind.

"Give the girl a moment?" Raphael asks. "We'll wait elsewhere while she does so." Alec raises his eyebrows at that. The vampire is giving Clary some sort of sympathy?

Alec looks at Jace. The blonde boy seems utterly horrified by all of this. But he looks most upset for Clary. Isabelle is even shaken up by the sudden revelation, his little sister's eyes filling with tears. She likes the mundane boy- he's her friend.

"Let's give her some time to say goodbye," Alec says. He opens the door leading to the small room before entering the basement. Jace and Izzy file out, leaving Alec who can't seem to move his feet. Clary is bent over Simon, head resting on his chest as she listens to his heartbeat for the last time. He can hear her softy crying, body shaking with distress because she's going to end his life.

Alec finally leaves, closing the door behind him. Jace and Isabelle are visibly upset about this- Jace being more worried about Clary and Isabelle is probably a mess over the mundane.

"She's a mess," Jace says, referring to Clary. Alec can only wonder what will happen in the aftermath of all this. Clary has no one except an Institute full of strangers and her support system contains three people whom she doesn't know that well.

Isabelle glares. The girl dries tears quickly. It's uncharacteristic of her to cry… Simon and Clary must be special to her if she's this upset. "Of course she is. She's about to stake her best friend."

Alec doesn't say anything. What can he say? In the room next to him, someone is going to die. How can he speak of that? And what is he going to say about Clary? Alec knows that he doesn't like her much, but she is a Shadowhunter and she's going to lose someone she loves. He owes her some kind of sympathy.

They stand there for maybe ten minutes before they hear the most terrifying sound. Alec flinches, wishing he'd never heard it- a blade tearing through skin and muscle, plunging straight into Simon's heart.

Jace has frozen in place and Isabelle has taken off to another part of the Institute. For a moment, Alec can't move. He hasn't ever had much respect for any mundane, but Simon deserves the last benediction. He deserves respect and all that comes with it because he died. The boy never asked for what happened to him.

"I'm going to go after Isabelle," Jace says hoarsely. Alec knows he doesn't want to see Simon's body or see Clary so broken.

Left with the task of collecting Clary, he walks into the basement to see Clary sitting on the floor, knees drawn to her chest. Raphael has pulled the canvas tarp over Simon's head, covering him. But blood seeps through the fabric, creating a large spot of red over Simon's chest.

Alec kneels next to Clary, placing his hand on her shoulder. Clary lifts her head to look at him and Alec sees a wave of tears streaming down her face. He touches her cheek, drying tears away carefully.

Raphael looks at the two. "It's best to get her out of here before I remove his body."

Alec stands up, softly taking Clary with him. The girl moves close to him, those skinny arms of hers wrapped around his middle and Alec can't think straight for a moment, surprised she has done this. Clary hated him and Alec wasn't the one who looked cuddly and comforting.

"C'mon, Clary," Alec says. "Let's go."

Clary looks to Raphael, shaking. Her voice trembles and Alec can tell she's on the verge of a complete meltdown. "Will you take care of him?"

"Only the best," Raphael says. "We won't let anything happen."

That seems to satisfy Clary a little, but Alec takes her away. Alec doesn't shake Clary off when she takes his hand, holding it for dear life. All she wants is some kind of human touch- someone to comfort her.

Alec takes her to her room. He decides not to get Isabelle or Jace to help him in this endeavor. Isabelle will make her feel worse and Jace will smother her. Both will cause an ungodly meltdown of epic proportions.

Situating Clary on her bed, Alec travels to her small bathroom and grabs a wash cloth. He wets the cloth with warm water and goes to wipe Clary's face of tears that have dried to her cheeks. When he steps back into the room, Clary is curled up on her side, body shaking with silent sobs.

Alec frowns, sitting on the edge of her bed. He rubs her back gently, making a shushing sound. "It's okay. Calm down, Clary. Shh…" Alec realizes how silly he sounds. He isn't made for comfort- Alec's made of sharp angles and anger. He's not a loving person.

But he'll try to be for this girl.

In the end, she winds up crying herself to sleep. It was the saddest thing Alec had ever seen. It made him want to cry, but he stayed quiet, only using his voice to soothe her to sleep.

He wipes her face of tears, but her eyes remain puffy and her nose red. Alec has never known her to be this way, and seeing her cry shocked him.

The dark haired boy stands up, turning off the lamp. It plunges the room into darkness, the moon casting oblong shadows over Clary's room. Alec moves down to the foot of Clary's bed, grabbing a plush throw blanket to tuck around her body.

"'Night, Clary," Alec whispers softly, smoothing the blanket over her.

Before he leaves, he feels a hand grasp his shirt. He hears Clary's voice. It's so hoarse from sobbing that the words she speaks are nearly inaudible.

"Please stay," Clary whimpers.

Alec doesn't say no to her. Despite how funny it will look if he's seen in the same bed as the girl, he doesn't care. He lifts the blanket and slides in next to her after kicking his shoes off. Clary curls close to him, head resting on his shoulder. Her arm is thrown over his abdomen, clutching his shirt.

"Go back to sleep, Clary," Alec whispers softly, stroking her hair. "I'm right here." He tucks Clary's head beneath his chin, rubbing her back.

"Thank you," Clary mumbles quietly, her voice drifting away with exhaustion.

She's asleep almost immediately, breathing in and out softly. Alec doesn't dare move, continuing to rub her back and stroke her hair. He falls asleep after a while, not having the heart to leave her. She's already lost so much. Luke has distanced himself, her mother seems to be worlds away, and her best friend just died a horrid, tragic death.

But Alec will be right here for everyday for the rest of Clary's life, ready to protect her and be the protector she deserves to have.

He'll do anything to keep her safe.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi, guys! I'm back to write and I'm quite excited to be. These last few episodes of Shadowhunters have me beyond angry… It was heartbreaking to see Jocelyn go- although they'll bring her back one way or another.**

 **I kind of wish they'd stay with the books. They're doing their best, but I'd love to see some parts of City of Ashes come to life. We'll just have to hope for the best.**

 **Anyhow, this chapter was requested by SpiritFeather19524. I hope you all enjoy and I hope that I write what you envisioned, SpiritFeather19524!**

 **Please review!**

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~Clary~

 _First, she felt that this world was becoming better. She had her mother back and Simon and Luke. She and Jace were even on speaking terms._

Then her entire world came crashing down around her. She lost the single most important person in her life. Her mother is gone. Clary had her back for such a short time and she was taken from her. She lost her closet confident; she lost her best friend. She lost the one person who cared about her the most in this horrible, cruel world.

She did anything and everything to get her back. She begged and pleaded with Magnus. She went to Iris Rouse- although that didn't even go as planned. In the end, everything was a feeble attempt to try and get back the one person who truly mattered.

Now she's going to have to bury her.

She sits in her room, looking at the picture Magnus conjured up of Clary and Jocelyn. The picture seems to have been taken a lifetime ago. She associates this picture with her mother's laughter and warm hugs and kisses.

Clary wishes that she could hear that laugh and feel her arms around her one last time. She never said goodbye and she didn't get to give her last "I love you."

Tears well in her eyes. She hasn't really cried since she found her mother. Yes, there has been tears and all, but Clary feels she hasn't had the chance to properly grieve Jocelyn. She's been running around, finding a way to resurrect her mother.

Now she's alone and she can't find the tears. She can't force herself to come to terms that this is real and that she's gone. Her mother is no more.

Clary sits in bitter silence when the door swings open. She half expects it to be Jace or Isabelle. They've came often to check on her. Instead, she sees pained blue eyes and messy black hair.

Alec.

She hasn't had the heart to face him. She knows that he didn't kill her mother- the demon did. She knows that her father probably meant for this to happen. But whenever she looks at him she can't help but to see the demon using his body to pull back the bow's string to let the arrow fly.

She'll always associate his face with the death of her mother.

"Clary…" Their fragile relationship is mangled by this. In the beginning things were rocky. The relationship was born out of passion and anger and a load of other emotions, but they loved each other even though they could barely be together in the same room half the time.

Clary shakes her head. She can't do this right now. She's not ready to face him. "Alec, don't…"

His cheeks are stained with tears and his eyes are red from crying. There's no doubt that Alec has beaten himself up over this entire thing. "I just need to know that you forgive me. Clary, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"I know it wasn't your fault," Clary says mournfully. She watches as Alec comes closer and closer until he's kneels in front of her.

"I'd do _anything_ to take back those thirty seconds, Clary," Alec says. "I will do anything to make it up to you." His hands rest on her knees. Tears are welling up in his blue hues and Clary knows that he's in so much pain over this.

Clary reaches up to touch his face. She wraps her arms around him and Alec lifts the redhead up, holding her close. Clary clings to him, laying her head on his chest. She's glad to have someone hold her.

"Can you forgive me, Clary?" Alec asks.

Clary hugs him tightly. "There's nothing to be forgiven."

"I'm so sorry, Clary." Alec kisses Clary's hair. "What can I do, Clare?"

"I just want my mom," Clary mumbles. Tears stream down her face freely now. She's crying and suddenly, she's sobbing. She clutched Alec's leather jacket, bawling into his chest. Grief rolls over her in massive waves- so much that she thinks she'll drown in it.

She cries until there's not a tear left to be shed. Alec still holds her, rocking her back and forth to soothe her. Clary rests against him, exhausted from the crying spell but she feels much better now that she let everything out.

"Alec?"

"What is it?" Alec asks softly.

"Promise me that you won't leave," Clary croaks.

Alec dries her tears. "I promise I will never leave you. I'm going to keep you safe- that's my promise to your mother. Where she is, she can count on me to keep you safe."

There's a bout of silence between the two before Clary finds the strength to speak. "I love you, Alec."

Clary's lips find register with Alec's. The kiss is slow and soft, letting her know she's safe and loved with him. Finally, he pulls back. His forehead touches hers and they're sharing a breath.

"I love you, too."

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 **Well...do you all approve? More suggestions are welcome!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! This chapter is inspired by my latest operation (I had my wisdom teeth removed) and I based this story off of my experience...or what I remember of it.**

 **The chapter will be light and humorous. I hope everyone enjoys. There will be a little OOC from Alec, but it's only the drugs talking.**

 **Enjoy and let the reviews come in!**

 **Requests are welcomed.**

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 _~Clary~_

 _"But I'm fine! I don't need to go!"_

Clary glares at her boyfriend. Normally, Alec wouldn't be so childish, but she has discovered that the eldest Lightwood wants to take no part in anything that involves a doctor.

Clary brings her bag over her shoulder. "Alec, you have to go before it gets worse." As far as Clary knew, Shadowhunters were protected from things such as illnesses and diseases. With the right Runes, they seemed to live their lives without having anything worse than a cold. She recently thought that it involved dental health, but she was proved wrong.

Alec came complaining of a tooth ache some weeks ago. Clary watched as he begrudgingly went to the Shadowhunter's equivalent of a dentist. Alec came back announcing that he'd have to have his wisdom teeth removed.

"I'll live with the pain. Clare, don't make me go!" Alec whines.

"We're going to be late for your appointment if you don't stop," Clary says. She takes Alec's hand and tugs him to the lobby where Jace and Isabelle would help transport Alec to the hospital where the procedure would take place. "You're not going to feel it. They're putting you to sleep."

"I won't know what they're doing?" Alec asks worriedly.

"I had my wisdom teeth removed and I'm here to tell about it," Clary says. She clearly remembers the horrible videos her mother and Luke took of her because she was so strung out on the medicine they gave her. Clary doesn't remember it happening, but Luke and Jocelyn didn't care to show videos of her crying and pointing to the "purple monster" that was her jacket.

She hopes Alec isn't that bad.

Alec huffs, walking alongside Clary downstairs. Clary pats his hands reassuringly, leading him to where Jace and Isabelle patiently wait for them.

Jace smiles. "Ready to get your jaw ripped off?"

"What?!" Alec asks.

Clary glares at Jace. "Don't tell him that. He has been a nervous wreck all morning."

"Sorry," Jace says. "I was joking."

"Be more considerate! You're not the one getting your teeth ripped from your skull," Isabelle snaps.

Clary had to drag Alec outside- involuntary, that is- to her car.

…

Alec sits in the chair with wide eyes.

Clary pats his hand soft, waiting for the doctors to send her off. So far, the process has gone smoothly. They've hooked Alec to an IV and all the necessary steps to get him prepped for the surgery.

"It's too late to back out, isn't it?" Alec asks mournfully.

"Yes," Clary responds softly. "You're going to be fine, Ally. You won't feel a thing."

Alec sighs nervously. "I'll take your word for it. But, if I don't survive, I'm coming back from the grave to haunt you."

Clary rolls her eyes. "You're going to be fine. It won't be no more than an hour and we'll be ready to go." She smiles at Alec and leans forwards, kissing him softly on the lips.

Pulling away, she brushes Alec's dark hair from his eyes. "They're going to get you in a moment. I'm going to wait with Jace and Isabelle."

Alec nods. "See you soon?"

"See you soon," Clary confirms as a brown haired nurse marked with Runes steps through the door to collect her shaken boyfriend.

…

She waits a while with Jace. Isabelle had gone off somewhere- something about a hot blonde in a cast and how he couldn't get away.

An hour passes when they're called back to see Alec. A nurse smiles at them and motions them forwards.

"Is he okay?" Clary asks.

The nurse nods. "Alexander is just fine. The operation went well, but he's still a little woozy from the medication given." She launches into a list of side effects of the medicine- hysterics, hallucinations, confusion. The list goes on as they walk back to the room where she sees Alec.

Clary sits next to her brooding boyfriend. "Hey, Ally. How are you feeling?" She strokes his hair softly, hoping he won't do anything totally crazy while he's coming off the medication.

Alec looks up at her. Then, he looks down to his arm. "'Ey chopped my frigin' arm off." His speech is muffled from the gauze packed in his mouth and the drugs clearly have slurred his speech.

"No, Alec," Clary says. "You still have your arm." She squeezes his hand, trying to prove that he still has his appendage.

Alec's eyes grow huge. "No, Care! You gonna get blood everywhere!"

Clary suppresses a chuckle, but Jace laughs. Alec's feelings suddenly change from anger to upset. "Not funny! How'd you 'eel if they chopped your arm off?! Look! All I got is a _stub_!"

"You have your arm," Clary says. "See? It's right here." She waves his arm before his face, hoping to calm him.

Alec sniffles, lifting his arm. He nods slightly, laying back against the chair. He falls silent, his blue hues taking in Clary. "Who are you?"

"That's your girlfriend," Jace says. The blonde holds a cell phone, recording the exchange for later. Alec would have their asses later when he sees this.

Alec looks up at her and smiles. "You're my girlfriend?"

Clary nods. She momentarily fears what Alec will say when the Shadowhunter smiles. "Good. 'Cause you're hot." His happy expression fades and he glowers at Jace. "'Ey, stop making 'oogly eyes at my girlfriend!"

Jace looks horrified by that. "Alec, that's my sister!"

"All tha' more reason to stop looking at her, sick-o!" Alec says angrily. "You can go chase after that walking disco ball. He seems like a good time."

Clary can't help but burst out into laughter. She knows without a doubt that he's talking about Magnus. "Alexander, be nice. You need to apologize."

Alec just pouts and mumbles under his breath. Clary looks at Jace who is still recording, smiling vibrantly.

Alec will be pissed when he sees the video.


	11. Chapter 11

**I know I haven't reviewed in a while- last school year was horrid and this summer I haven't been able to sit down…**

 **Anyhow, this chapter is requested by Hermione Burkhardt. I do hope that I meet your expectations and I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Everyone enjoy :).**

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 _Finding Clary isn't hard._

Alec finds her in the greenhouse. The eighteen year old is perched comfortably on a bench, clutching her notepad and a set of charcoal pencils. Her face is set in an expression of determination- furrowed brow, narrowed eyes, and her jaw gently clenched. The face is uniquely Clary's and Alec often finds it comical should he come across her like this.

However, he can see that there's something wrong. When she's upset, she often gets like this- she'll put all of her focus onto something else and block that pain out. He can see it in her eyes that she's pained, and it's no doubt that it's because of Sebastian.

Perhaps Sebastian was doing it for the greater good, but that didn't warrant him to say such hurtful things. Clary had been doing so well, too- she was becoming that annoying little girl that first came to the Institute and she was full of life. Now, it's like that light has left her eyes.

Alec walks quietly to Clary's side. He bends down next to her to watch her draw. Her hands gracefully move across the paper, creating soft lines and and shapes. The shading is darker in some places and lighter in others, and as Clary continues to draw, the figure comes to life.

On the paper is Jocelyn. The woman is as Alec remembers her- a soft smile and gentle eyes. This is who Clary chooses to remember her as- as her mother who was alive and caring and beautiful...and happy.

He wants to say something to her- something to comfort her. He can't come right out and say, " _Sebastian is really a dick," or say anything like, "Don't pay any attention to that douchebag."_

It simply won't work. He wants to try to talk to her, then address the problem at hand. If it were Jace or Isabelle talking to her, Clary would have already been in tears and they'd have left her to go scout out Sebastian Verlac and rip him a new one.

"You…" Alec begins to stutter while speaking, breaking Clary away from her drawing. Clary looks at him with wondering eyes, suddenly making it even harder to speak.

After a moment of stuttering awkwardly and scanning his mind, he finally spits his words out. "Your drawing...it's beautiful."

Clary's lips turn up into a sad smile. She flips her sketch pad shut, holding it close to her. "Thank you, Alec."

Alec smiles softly. "You really captured the light in her eyes. Not many people can draw like that."

There's an awkward silence between the two of them. Alec looks over at Clary and she looks at him, but only for a moment. Then, Clary breaks the silence in a voice barely above a whisper.

"If you've come to talk about Sebastian, don't," says Clary. "There's really nothing to talk about." She looks miserable at the mention of the boy's name.

Alec shakes his head. "Yes, there is. Those things he said…" Alec remembers the sudden surprise and rage he felt at Sebastian's words. How dare he say something so horrible to a girl he hardly knew? How dare he say it to one of Alec's friends?

"Those things he said were cruel and hurtful," Alec says. "He didn't have to say those things- he could have done it another way." Clary opens her mouth to protest and Alec glares, shaking his head. "Don't say it doesn't bother you, because it does. You nearly burst into tears. Your feelings were hurt."

Clary sighs. "But he did it so we could capture Valentine…"

"His actions weren't justifiable," Alec says. "I don't care if we were trying to put Satan back in Hell… He had no business saying that to you."

Alec watches as Clary's defenses fall. She goes through a variety of emotions and the tears finally fall. They fall freely down her cheeks and soak into the collar of her shirt. "I know…"

"Clary, you won't ever be alone," Alec says soothingly. He gently removes Clary's sketch pad from her grasp and he lifts her up effortlessly. Clary settles against him, burying her head in his chest as she cries. "And I'll be right here, okay? As long as I'm right here, you'll never be by yourself no matter how the losses total."

Clary releases a soft shudder. "Shut up...you're going to make me cry more." Clary sniffles and Alec helps her dry her tears, his thumb ghosting across her cheek.

Alec chuckles softly, laying his cheek against her hair. He hugs Clary close, rubbing her back softly with one hand while the other holds her around the waist. "You're my best friend, Clary."

"Now you're just saying stuff," Clary giggles.

"I have two brothers and a sister. I'm bonded to Jace for life and stuck with the other two because they're my parents' children… But I get to pick you, so you're pretty freaking special," Alec says softly. Then, he removes Clary from his arms. "And that means no other person can talk to you wrongly- except me, of course."

Alec watches in delight as Clary's face lights up. He smiles and carefully dries her tear stained cheeks, kissing her forehead. "You tell me if that asshole comes back around. I'll have him fed to a greater demon."

"Shadowhunters don't summon demons," Clary says.

Alec grins and winks. "Sex deprived warlocks do."

Clary busts out into laughter, dropping her head on his shoulder. Alec hugs her close and laughs along before playfully shoving her off.

"Enough with the crying and drama," Alec says. He picks up Clary's sketch pad, smiling. "Show me some pictures?" He figures Clary would be excited to do that and it would help relieve some of her distress.

Alec watches as Clary opens the sketch pad. On the first page is a smiling Simon with twinkling eyes; the next is Luke and Jocelyn wrapped in each other's arms. There's several pictures of her family until he sees Isabelle. His sister is perched upon a throne sitting on a pile of skulls, dressed in her Shadowhunter attire while holding a Seraph blade.

The next is Jace, his hair golden and eyes bright. Angel wings sprout from his back, wrapping around him like a protection. His feet barely touch the ground, his wings keeping him afloat.

Next is Magus. He looks his usual amazing self, dressed in his dark suits. His eyes are glowing and his hands are raised, magic swirling about him with angels and demons doing some kind of dance around him.

Last, there's Alec. His body is marked in Runes he has never seen before. Dark wings sprout from his back and he holds his bow and arrow in hand, seeming to enter into battle. His eyes are a stunning blue- the only color on the paper besides shades of black and white.

Alec looks down at Clary who looks at him in wonder. He flashes a teasing smile, nudging her. "I knew you had some sort of weird obsession with me."

Clary snorts. "Shut up."

Alec stands up, bringing Clary with him. "Why don't we raid the pantry? We can steal all the sugary stuff and we can watch a movie?"

Alec watches as Clary smiles brilliantly. She gives a small nod and chuckles and they walk together to the kitchen, ignoring all of the staring individuals as they laugh on the way.


End file.
